Goodbye
Patuxent, Hello NecedahThe ten oldest chicks of hatch year 2003 took their first
flight today--but INSIDE a plane. The gangly young cranes arrived via
private jet at Wisconsin's Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge--the new summer home and future breeding
grounds for the Eastern flock. Upon arrival, full body x-rays were taken
of each chick while still inside their individual crates. After a brief
health exam the ten chicks were divided into two groups, based on their
ages (determined by hatch order). Then each group of chicks, called acohort, was driven
to their own enclosure on a secluded marsh. After about 30 minutes, they
were released from their shipping crates to explore their new surroundings.

The
chicks can't fly yet, which is very important. They must be moved before
they fledge (fly), or they won't want to follow the ultralight. Whooping
cranes learn to fly around 60 days of age. Another reason for delivering
them to Necedah before they fledge is that cranes will always return to
the place where they learned to fly. These young whoopers will think of
the wetlands around Necedah NWR as their summer home and future breeding
grounds--exactly what experts hope for.

The youngest
7 chicks will stay at Patuxent WRC for about two more weeks. After they
arrive, they will be housed and trained at their own enclosure, separate
from the other two cohorts.Each
cohort has its own pen and its own training site. Keeping them apart helps
their social development. They also train better when they are with chicks
close to their age.

Cranes
are territorial birds. The now subadult ultralight cranes that returned
to Necedah in spring 2001 and 2002 were trained on the same sites
where the new chicks arrived today. What predictions can you make
if the subadult whoopers hang around the new chicks?

What are
TWO important reasons why the chicks are moved to the reintroduction
site (Necedah) before they can fly?